The opening bars of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony in C Minor are possibility the most famous few measures in all of classical music.

The work was first performed in Vienna in 1808 under the direction of Beethoven himself and it achieved its prodigious reputation soon afterwards. The Fifth Symphony remains one of the most popular symphonies of all time.

Performing is the Orchestre National de France, conducted by the legendary Kurt Masur. This concert was part of a series where the complete nine symphonies of Beethoven were presented as part of the 2008 Beethoven Festival in Bonn.

Beethoven's Third Symphony in E-flat Major was originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte -- but only for a short time.

The composer had admired the ruler, but when the news came that he had declared himself Emperor, Beethoven ripped up the title page where he had written the dedication and produced another, giving it the new title Sinfonia Eroica, or the Heroic Symphony.

Performing is the Orchestre National de France, conducted by the legendary Kurt Masur. This concert was part of a series where the complete nine symphonies of Beethoven were presented as part of the 2008 Beethoven Festival in Bonn.